Apparatus for forming sheet-metal articles



May 8, 1928.

Filed Feb. 10. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet I E: l llllLQEEEt LEE mm L i 1 4 v. H1

- vwemtoz 511 w alfouacig :6

May 8, 1928. A

' s. 'GRONELL APPARATUS FOR FORMING SHEET METAL ARTICLES Filed Feb. 10- 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a 'uentoz M ,P'atented May 8, 1928.

un ts-n STATES GEORGE GRONELL, on NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR r0 rnseuaztn GALAssI, or ew YonK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR FORMING SHEET-METAL ARTICLES.

Application filed February 10, 1926. SeriatNo. 87,234.

My invention relates to apparatus for forming articlesof sheet materials, and more particularly for forming sheet metal strips such as shown in'United States patent to *Galassi No. 1,377,675, dated May 10, 1921, for usein expansion joints of paving material.

The principal object of the invention is to provide eflicient apparatus'whereby such articles may be made quickly and at a low cost.v

Other objects, features and advantages will appear more fully in the following description and appended claims.

The accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, I 7 Figure 1 visa plan view of the'apparatus. Figure 2 is an end view of same. Figure 3 is a front elevation of same. Figures 4, 5 and 6 are sections taken respectively on the lines 47-4, 5-5 and 6-6 of Fig. 1; and i v Figure 7 is a perspective view of one form of strip adapted to be formed by the apparatus. i

The strips 0; shown in Fig; 7 are adapted to be embedded in a vertical position between various sections of paving material; so that in case of contraction of the paving mate'- rial it will yield along thestrips so as to avoid objectionable breaks in the paving,

material. The strips are preferably formed of sheet metal and are provided with tabs or flanges b, 0 extending outwardly in opposite directions fromthe body of the strip, these tabs or "flanges beingradapted to be embedded in the paving material so as to hold the strip in place in caseof contraction of the paving material away tromithe body of the strips. The apparatus showni'in the drawings is adapted'rto form the" tabs or projections b, 0 upon 'thestrips 1a,.

For holding the stripsin position, the

apparatus comprisesjaws 1' and 2,i the jaw Tbeing secured in fixed position upon base 3 andthe jaw 2 being movableupori said base in a horizontal direction toward and away from the jaw l The base 3, as shown, is supported upon standards 4. "For moving the jaw 52 towards thejaw l'into clamping relation with respect to'ithe same, the appa ratus shown comprises cams or eccentricsfi hearing against the outer face of jaw 2 and supported "for pivotal movement about a vertical axisby the base 3 and bridge like members 6 (see Fig. Two of these members 6, as shown'in Fig. 1, are arranged at the respective ends of the machine and aresecured to the tops of the fixed jaw 1 bars 7 and 8 which extend parallel to the jaws on opposite sides thereof respect vely and are secured to the'base' 3(as shown in Fig. 4).- To the uppenends of the cams 5' are secured cranks 9 which fare connected at their free ends bya link- 10, so that all of the cams may beoperated in unison to'move'the aw 2 intoclamping relationthroughout the lengthof the jaws, One

of the'cranks '9 is formed with an'extension 11 in the nature of ahandle so asto facilitate the operation ofthe cranks 9 toetfect "movement of the jaw 2 towards the jaw 1 Springs 12 (Fig, 4) tendto m0vethejaw 2 away tromthe jawfl. One or more strips 0 are adapted to be held'between the jaws 1 and 2, their downward movement being limited by steps or supports '14 supported "by the bars 7 and&

(see Figs, 1 and a which is supported for horizontal movement at right, angles to the jaws '1 and 2 by the bars 1 and 7or Qand 8,

depending upon which side of the strip the plunger is arran'ged; The plungers 16 coact with dies 17 arranged on the oppositeifside of the strips a. Thelower taceot:eacl1 plunger has aslight clearance withfrespect to the corresponding face of the die ;'-so; that as the plunger forcesthe sheet materialv into the die, itwill not completely sever thepart of the material engaged byt'he punch "from the rest of the material but will "merely fold over that part otthe material so fas to form a tab orflanget or cfThefside' facesof the plunger-s fit fairly accurately against the side faeesot the die so as to sever thelside-edges of the flange portions 6' orctrom thebody Of the material; For opieratingthe various .plungers' on each side ofthe apparatus in unison they are connected to'canis 18 secured to shatts lipwhich are respectively arranged en apposite sides of the amt and 2in parallel relation to said jaws. The shafts 19 are arranged to be rotated in unison in opposite directions by intermeshing gears 20 and 21 secured to said shafts re spectively. As shown in the drawings, the power is supplied from electric motor 22, the shaft of which is connected by worm 23 with worm wheel 24 which is rotatably mounted upon one of the shafts 19 adjacent the gear 21. To permit operation of the motor without operation of the sheet forming apparatus, a clutch is provided between worm wheelv 24 and the shaft 19 by which it'is supported. Any suitable form of clutch may be used, the clutch shown having a clutch member 25 secured to the shaft 19 and a movable clutch member 26 fitting for longitudinal movement into a recess in the member 25 and adapted to engage recess 27 in the hub of the worm wheel 24. A spring 28 tends to hold the clutching member 26 in clutching relation to the worm wheel 24:. The member 26. is however normally held unclutched from the worm wheel by means of the upper wedge-shaped end 29 of rod 30, the lower end of which is connected to an operating pedal 31. A spring 32' arranged between the guide 33 and a shoulder on the rod 30 tends to holdsaid rod and the lever 31 in elevated position with the clutch disengaged. To permitclutching of the shaft 19 to the worm .wheel 24, lever 31 is depressed thereby moving the rod 29 out of obstructing relation to the clutch member 26 and permitting the spring member 28 to force the clutch mem-' ber 26 into operative relation to the worm wheel. When the pedal 31 is released the spring 32 moves the rod upwardly whereby the wedge-shaped upper end of the said rod -moves the clutch member 26 into inoperative or unclutching position.

It may at times be desired to operate only the punches on one side of the apparatus so as to form the tabs or flanges only on one face of the strips. To this end I have pro- .vided a clutch 34 which is movable by a lever 35 to operatively disconnect the gear 20 from the shaft 19 by which it is supported.

To achieve the removal of the punch strip from the clamping jaws the apparatus in- ,cludes ejecting means for the strip. The

ejecting means shown comprises a plurality of ejector pins 36, the lower ends of which are formed with loops 37 whereby the said pins are movably supported upon a bar 38. By moving the pins 36 along the bar 38 they may be positioned in desired relation under the lower edgeof the strips (1. The bar 38 is, as shown, supported by parallel links 39 and 40 and is movable upwardly with the ejector pins by means of lever 4:1 which engages a projection 42 on the bar 38 and is provided with an arm 13 whereby it may be readily operated by foot. Movement of the lever 41 about its axis efiects movement of the links 39 and 40 about their axes, the bar 38 and pins 36 being moved upwardly during such movement. A handle 44 secured to the bar 38 may also'be used to effect the desired upward movement of the bar.

In operation one or more strips are placed between the jaws 1 and 2, the lever 11 then being operated to shift the jaw 2 to clamp the strips between the jaws 1 and 2. The motor 22 being in operation, the worm gear Q loperates idly. By depressing the lever 31 the said worm gear is clutched to the shaft 19 supporting the same, whereupon both shafts 19 are operated, rotating the cams 18 and operating the punches to form the projections Z1 and 0 upon the strips. After the strips have been so formed the pedal 31 is released to stop operation of the punches, and jaw 2 is moved to open position by the lever 11. The ejector bar 38 is now elevated eitherby the lever M or the lever 43. whereupon-the ejector pins lift the formed strip frombetween the jaws. In case itisdesired to form a projection on only one side-ofthe sheet, the clutch 34 is released by the lever35 during the forming operation.

lVhile T have shown one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I am not limited thereto. Furthermore while t I have shown and described the apparatus for forming a certain kind of strip, it is understood that the apparatus may be used for forming other kinds of articles.

Having thus described my invention, what u:

plungers adjacent one face of the article inoperative wlnle permit-ting operation of the' plungers adjacent the other face of the article. V

. 2. The combination of a support for an article of sheet material, means for forming on said article while carried by said support projections extending outwardly from the article in opposite directions, and means for ejecting the article from the support, said ejecting means comprising a plurality of members arranged to engage the article at different places and means for simultaneouslymoving said members to lift the article relatively to said support. 7

3. The combinationof a support for an article of sheet material, a plurality of punches having movable plungers arranged adjacent each face of the article for formtilt! messes ing on said article while carried by said support projections extending outwardly from the article in opposite directions, means for simultaneously operating said punches, and means for ejecting the article from the support, said ejecting means comprising a plurality of members arranged to engage the article at diiierent places, and means for simultaneously moving said memhere to lift the article relatively to said support.

l. The combination of a support for an article of sheet material, a plurality of punches having movable plungers arranged adjacent each face of the article for forming on said article while carried by said support projections extending outwardly from the article in opposite directions, means for simultaneously operating said punches, and

means for ejecting-the article from the support, said ejecting means comprising a plurality of pins, a member on which said pins are loosely mounted to permit change of the position thereof relatively to the length of the article, and a lever for moving said member to cause said pins to lift the article relatively to the support. r

5. The combination with a clamp comprising a fixed jaw,a' movable jaw, yielding means tending to move said movable jaw away from said fixed jaw, and means for forcing said movable jaw into clamping position, of meansfor operating from opposite directions on an article carried by said clamp, the actuation of said means for forcing said movable jaw into clamping position being entirely separate and distinct from the actuation of said last mentioned means.

6. The combination with a clamp comprising a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, yielding means tending to move said movable jaw away from said fixed jaw, and means for form a plurality of oppositely directed flanges on an article of sheet material supported between said jaws, the actuation of said means for moving said second jaw being entirely separate and distinct from the actuation of said punches.

8; The combination of a support, means for operating from opposite directions upon an article carried by said support,a single source of power in driving relation to both of said means, and means whereby the means operating from one direction may be disconnected from said source without dis connecting from said source the means operating in the opposite direction. 7 l

9. The combination of a fixed jaw, asecond jaw, means for moving said second jaw horizontally into or out of clamping relation to said fixed jaw, punches arranged to form a plurality of oppositely directed flanges on an article of sheet material sup,- ported between said jaws, and means for ejecting the article from between said jaws.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE GRONELL. 

